Mythological Love Story
by Vera-chan
Summary: Seto Kaiba is the most powerful man in Japan next to the Emperor and prides himself in his ability to catch mythical creatures. But tales of an ethereal being roaming the forests he has yet to see troubles his mind into seeking the creature out. Seto/Jou!
1. Prologue

Vera: Hallo peoples!! Okay, I told myself I wouldn't start a new fic until I finished Sundial but...... I have no self-discipline! 

Yami Vera: *rolls eyes* THAT is obvious. 

Vera: :P Oh well! I'm starting this since it nagged at me to write it and... Here it is!! ^_________^ Just the prologue so far but it's coming along. ^_o 

Yami Vera: *sighs* 

**IMPORTANT:** This will contain _YAOI_! As in male/male relationships! The one's I'm positive on are: Seto/Jou (the main pairing) Yami/Yuugi, and Bakura/Ryou! I will NOT change my mind on this. You can ask for another pairing that does not involve these characters and we'll see what happens! Last thing; This will NOT NOT NOT be a pure fluff story! It will have a plot and character development to go along with it. Don't you dare flame me by saying I need more fluff in my story before the characters even know each other! Okay.... I'm done with that. ^_____^ 

**DISLCAIMER: **Once upon a time there was a slightly crazed authoress named Vera who did not own YuGiOh or any other related characters. She was very sad but the lawyer peoples were very happy. THE END! 

Vera: Looky! You get two stories in one! *giggles* Okay, I'll write the chapter now. 

Yami Vera: Finally... 

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MYTHOLOGICAL LOVE STORY 

-PROLOGUE- 

  
  
  


A lone figure maneuvered their way through one of Japan's many forests. Though a bit lithe and very graceful, the shadowed form was obviously male. He moved stealthily towards a clearing in the trees, which held a small lake that shone from the moonlight overhead. However, once the man was close enough he could see small lights hovering above the water's surface. Making sure to stay concealed in the folds of surrounding blackness, he inched closer to the floating lights. 

At this distance the small glowing objects were proven not to be lights, but faeries. Each emitted a soft, moon kissed glow from their skins and kept above the lake by use of their tiny, crystalline wings. There were at least twenty ethereal beings spread out across the area of the lake, not a single one with any inkling of the man's presence. He waited, timing himself to perfection and remaining utterly silent until he wished to make himself known. By that time it would be too late. 

A small cluster of about five of the faeries glided through the air to the very edge of the lake, less than an arms length away from the man. In one fluid movement the figure swooped out of the darkness and onto the creatures, managing to get four of them into his silk bag. Pleased with his catch the man pulled a fairly small vase from his coat. A lid type object with air holes was secured firmly to the top after he dumped the winged beings into the piece of pottery. 

He smirked as the rest of the faeries took flight into the safety of the trees. Of course it didn't matter, they would all be caught eventually. Not many were able to catch sight of creatures such as these in the wilderness, much less have the required traits to catch them. Faeries were the most common of rare creatures due to their trusting nature but they still sold well if caught and bottled. A few simple spells could confine the beings to a designated area once caught and people enjoyed having them around. 

This man was different from other people however. He would catch the ethereal creatures instead of buying them, making a truly unneeded profit. He was a high ranking noble roaming the forests in search of rare beings, skilled cerulean orbs watching the dense trees for any signs of another's presence. Seto Kaiba was the most powerful man in Japan next to the Emperor Yami [1], but also very cold and distant. 

The brunette took a final glance around before slipping back into the black folds of shadow. He spent many nights slipping out of the palace and into the woods to search for mythical creatures. But as of late, the more common beings were not enough. Seto did not by any means doubt his ability to locate such rarities, oh no. He was the best there was having talked with a few nymphs, easily stolen hairs from unicorns, and withstanding the treacherous song of a siren. 

No, it was not doubt that brought about this sudden feeling of derisory. It was something else. He had overheard the Emperor and his lover talking one night and caught snippets of their conversation. 

~*~Flashback~*~ 

"Yuugi, what were you thinking when you darted away from the guards' protection this afternoon?!" Yami scolded the violet-eyed boy about a week back. But the shorter of the two had merely grinned at him from across the dining table. 

"I thought I saw something in the woods!" he spoke enthusiastically. Yami was not pleased by this explanation. 

"That is not a good excuse for bolting out of safety and into a cluster of trees." He replied, his tone more serious than usual around the near-copy image of himself. 

"But it was glowing! And it looked to big to be a faerie so I was curious!" Yuugi, though a bit distraught at having upset his lover, seemed not to regret his actions. 

Seto didn't catch the next few lines of admonishment from the ruby-eyed royal but he caught enough to understand what was going on. The next lines that reached his ears however grabbed his attention a bit more. 

"It was some kind of creature Yami! Like the one's Seto-san is always catching." The boy was practically bouncing in his seat as he spoke. At first this didn't mean anything to the cold boy, he had probably already seen it before. Yami was still non-to-pleased with the younger boy's proceedings. 

"What if you were hurt Yuugi?! What if that thing you're talking about had attacked you?!" Yuugi flinched slightly at the voice, which was steadily increasing in volume. 

"Gomen nasai Yami-koi…. I just really wanted to see it…." He sniffled slightly, jerking Yami out of his anger almost immediately. The Emperor sighed and spoke softer. 

"It's alright Yuugi, don't be upset. Why don't you tell me about this creature you found?" the taller urged in an attempt to cheer up his tiny lover. It certainly helped. 

"He ran away at first, but stopped when I tripped." Yami frowned at this new piece of information but didn't say anything as the other continued. "He must have been worried because he came back over to check on me. _HE _was glowing Yami! His skin was!" 

Seto scoffed mentally as he watched Yami nod slightly. He had seen plenty of beings glowing. It was nothing new to him, but the innocent didn't stop talking. 

"He was actually very handsome; gold hair and pretty eyes and his ears were kind of pointy. I think I even saw wings! I asked him what he was and he smiled and told me I could call him Katsuya. Then he looked at my ankle and said I had hurt it really bad so he put his hand were I hurt it and his eyes glowed and my leg was better!" 

Yami blinked at the boy for a moment, not only comprehending the fact he had been severely hurt but also that a wild…. something had helped him. He had never heard of a mortal-looking creature that willingly healed humans. It was very rare for such a thing to happen and the description of the boy was highly uncommon for their area so he couldn't have been a local. "Katsuya? That's what he wanted you to call him?" a vigorous nod from the short teen proved him correct with his questioning. 

Seto suffered similar thoughts. He had never seen this Katsuya creature and that began to nag at his mind. Rumors had spread a week or so earlier of some locals catching a glimpse of a beautiful figure roaming the forests, but Seto Kaiba did not dwell on rumors. He had turned in to bed as soon as he finished eating only to lie awake for hours thinking of Yuugi's earlier acquaintance. 

~*~End Flashback~*~ 

So there he was, shifting silently through the vegetation as he had done for the past few nights. He would see meet the 'Katsuya' being Yuugi had described and possibly even catch him. He cursed under his breath as a rock jutted seemingly out of nowhere caused him to stumble slightly. 

Resting a hand against a nearby tree to help him regain balance, Seto skimmed over the area with his eyes. He had stumbled right into another clearing in the trees, this one bearing lovely flowers up to what appeared to be a cliff. A spring breeze blew a few cherry blossom petals across the moon-bathed scene. 

But he was not focusing on the beauty of the clearing; instead his eyes had caught sight of something to his left. Darting his blue orbs quickly in that direction he saw nothing. A frown passed over his features, as he was sure a gentle glow had been coming from that direction moments ago.   


Seto quickly straightened his form, pushing away from the sakura tree he had leaned against. He stepped towards the spot he thought he had seen the soft light and frowned more so. "Who's there? Show yourself!" he called into the blackness. 

As suspected, he received no answer. Only a swish of trees and a faint, dying, sound of running indicated he had not been alone........ 

* * *

[1]: Yes I ment to put Emperor and not Prime Minister! *huff* I want there to be an emperor in this story so bear with me peoples! Erm... anybody know what you call the person right below an emperor?___? 

* 

Vera: So.......................... whatcha think? Good? Bad? Burn it? Continue? 

Yami Vera: Calm down aibou. You look stressed. 

Vera: *deep breath* I don't want to bomb this story! I don't think the idea's been used before so if somebody else did something like this then I didn't know and I'm not taking their ideas! WHOOOHOOO!! MY BIRTHDAY IS FEBRUARY 23RD!! SOOOOOO CLOSE! ^________________________^ 

Yami Vera: *hugs Vera* R&R, kudasai minna-san. 

Vera: *nods, hugging back* I want to know if this is any good!! It's only a prologue though so other chapters (if any) will be longer!! ^______^ *looks at clock that says clearly: 1:03am* ^^;; Ja ne! 

Yami Vera: *sighs* Ja ne. Bed aibou!   
  
  



	2. Aqua & Crimson Lights

Vera: 00 .................. 

Yami Vera: --;; Here it comes... 

Vera: YOU WANT ME TO CONTINUE?! I LOVE YOU PEOPLE!! ^_______________________________^ 

Yami Vera: Oi. --DDDD Aibou are you going to get on with the story? 

Vera: *nods* HAI! And I'll have review comments at the end ^_o. 

**IMPORTANT:** MUAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHA! I figured out who's under the Emperor! Turns out the Prime Minister is under the Emperor but the Emperor is really only there for tradition. In MY story the Emperor will have POWER!! ^^; What? It's my AU! 

**DISCLAIMER: **(See Prologue) 

Vera: And the important business is out of the way! ONWARD WITH THE FICCY!! 

Yami Vera: Ra help me... 

* * *

_MYTHOLOGICAL LOVE STORY_

Chapter 1: AQUA & CRIMSON LIGHTS

  
  
  
  


He ran as fast as he could, the only sounds reaching his sensitive ears being the steady beat of his feet drumming against the forest floor and his own breathing. He had almost been seen by that... human. There was something about him that was different from the boy he had met a while ago, Yuugi he believed. While the first boy was innocent and sweet, this other man was obviously neither of those. He could feel it. Literally. 

After a few more minutes of the steady rhythm he had maintained whilst running, he slowed to a stop before a small circle of Sakura Trees. The glowing boy leaned himself against one of the trees, struggling to regain his breath. Harsh laughter suddenly filled the air around him, causing a light shudder to run down the blonde's spine. He glanced up and spotted a familiar figure. 

"What are you laughing at me about this time?" the ethereal being snapped. A glare passed over his features as he watched the one above him continue to chuckle darkly. 

"You are an idiot Katsuya, you know that? Of course, such a thing was clear to me the day I met you. If I'm correct in thinking, and I know I am, you get more ignorant with each passing day." an insult was the other's only reward to his question as usual. Heaving a sigh, Katsuya moved away from the occupied tree and easily pulled himself onto the branches of one beside it. 

"And what, pray tell, have I done to deserve such a lovely array of words from you this evening Bakura?"[1] the addressed male simply flashed him a smirk before muttering a few words under his breath. Reaching out, the white-haired boy brushed a slender finger against one of the Sakura's many blossoms. The set of petals immediately caught fire and burned to a small pile of dust. This action only caused the blonde to shiver. He hated fire. 

"Fine, don't tell me why you've decided to be an ass this evening." Katsuya muttered, retracting his wings into his back. It was much easier to sleep without the possibility of snagging the things on something. He sighed and leaned back against the smooth bark of the Sakura, fiddling slightly with the material about his legs. They were the equivalent to human pants the only difference being that the material wrapped about the lower body and tied at the waist. It was the only thing he wore, leaving his feet and upper body bare. Bakura was attired the same except for the fact that the fire-loving creature bore blood red material and Katsuya bore navy. 

The sadistic creature that sat a few feet away would only be mistaken for himself if seen from a great distance. Even so, Japan's people often counted the two as the same person. Such a thing was actually rather absurd. Bakura's skin glowed a dark, crimson color in contrast with Katsuya's soft aqua shine. Aside from that, the vicious man next to him had a head of spiky, silver white hair as opposed to his own messy, golden locks. 

"I don't know why you bother to help those humans Katsuya no baka." the reddish-glowing creature started again. "You know that they'll only lock you up and goggle at you. And when that day comes I'm going to laugh my ass off." 

Katsuya growled at him, eyes narrowing to slits. "Not everybody is out to get us! Yuugi is friendly even if you're monstrous to him!" the blonde spat. However, his strong words were drowned by yet another harsh cackle. 

"Imbecile. You're going to get yourself killed and don't think I'm going to help you. The only reason I allow your presence is because if we were found I could sacrifice you to get myself away." Bakura told him like he had a million times before. But the cold reality of those words never bothered Katsuya. Even if he would never come out and say it, the honey-eyed being was grateful for the other's company. 

A dark past lurked behind his warm grown eyes, threatening to overthrow the boy if given a chance. It was hard to live in a world run by humans and even harder if your kind is highly foreign to the area you resided in. As far as the two were aware they were the only one's of their species to inhabit the country known as Japan. 

To keep himself from focusing on anything that might invade the small bit of peace he had found within himself, Katsuya turned to the lake. He loved the water, adored it even. It was a part of him that he cherished beyond all other aspects of his being. And maybe it was for that reason that he hated the red-orange flames of fire. He had admitted to himself a long time ago that he feared the heated blaze and past experiences had done nothing to help him evade such a thing. 

Bakura was the opposite. 

The near-demonic creature was always a large fan of such an inferno. He welcomed the boiling hands of the blaze Katsuya tried so hard to avoid. In turn he was, to put it lightly, not the biggest fan of the liquid that now reflected the shinning midnight moon. He did not fear it. Bakura did not fear anything, especially a little water, but he made it quite clear that he was not fond of it. 

The two otherworldly begins had taken to specializing in areas involving their favorite elements. While Bakura could burn, singe and scorch anything with a touch of his hand, Katsuya could manipulate oceans, lakes and rivers to do his bidding. But the latter of the two had never used his gift against another creature unless trapped in a life-threatening situation. Perhaps that's why so many horrific things had happened to the navy clad individual. He was too forgiving, too trusting and kind. And he was reminded of what those characteristics could do to him everyday. 

Despite the terrors that could be bestowed upon him due to his persona, he instead limited his contact with others. But that boy, Yuugi, had followed him and when the shorter had hurt himself Katsuya felt that he had to help him. If he hadn't the blonde would have never forgiven himself, another part of his character. Though he could forgive most people for almost anything, he was terribly hard on himself. He had to be or else he would end up in a cage in the middle of somebody's sitting room. That would not happen to him. Not again. 

Shaking his head violently the reminiscing figure decided he had best sleep before his mind forced him to relive the dark past he had forced away for so long. He stole a glance at the figure to his right and sighed. Bakura had already dimmed and fallen asleep. It was at this time that the male looked a good deal less threatening. His face, though still set in a scowl, was more relaxed then would ever been seen in his conscious state. The ebony wings that usually protruded from the white-haired boy's back had been retracted, allowing him to rest comfortably against the tree. 

Katsuya closed his eyes for a moment and forced back the glow that usually emitted from his skin, leaving him to seem like a relatively normal resident of Japan. Tan skin and pointed ears with a mop of gold atop his head was still nothing close to common for this region however. Letting his honey orbs fall across the surrounding tree tops, memories of a tall brunette filled his thoughts. He had been watching the man for the past week or so, trying to decipher his identity. He had been talking with Yuugi on a near regular bases now, making the boy promise not to mention Bakura and himself after finding out he had told his lover about them. 

And yet, he was nowhere near deciding who the handso- _Wait a minute! What was I thinking just there?! Handsome? Kami-sama help me, I don't even know his name..._ Katsuya sighed and leaned back against the tree, forcing all thoughts of the blue-eyed man out of his mind. There would be plenty of time to ponder that tomorrow, right now he needed to sleep. The last thing that penetrated the blonde's mind before sweet blackness overtook him was a singular thought. _That man's been looking for... me......._

~*~*~ 

Seto cursed himself once again as he slipped between the silken sheets of his bed. He had been within eight feet or so of that creature and let it slip through his grasp. There was no mistaking the Katsuya being Yuugi had spoken of that night, the glimpse of blonde and catch of a soft glow. It had been him. 

All these nights he had snuck out of the palace to search for that one figure he had only to catch a peek of it. Normally he would have caught, trapped, and sold any mythological creature he set his mind on by now. This was starting to piss him off. Tomorrow he would talk with Yami about this, ask the Emperor if he had any ideas for finding his prey. Or maybe he'd even force himself to speak with the other royal's lover, Yuugi. 

There was something that boy had been hiding from them for a while now. It was obvious to the skilled eye that there was a secret buried behind those clear amethyst depths. Now he wasn't saying Yami was unskilled at finding such a thing, it was just that he often over looked any possible flaws with the little one. He was obsessed and the entire country knew it. 

Once he thought about it, Seto realized that he had been noticing the secretive hints in Yuugi ever since the day after he told his crimson-eyed companion of his amazing find, Katsuya. At that moment it all clicked in the Prime Minister's mind. Yuugi knew more about this being then he let on. A smirk passed over the brunette's features as he settled back into the pile of pillows behind him. Tomorrow. Katsuya was as good as his. 

(Vera: I almost ended there but then I remembered that I promised longer chapters and this isn't even 2,000 words so... ! I was just inspired!! Yami Vera: The write aibou! >) 

~*~*~ 

A yelp of pain echoed through the upper halls of the large house stationed at the corner of Itsumo Street [2]. The house itself was owned by a wealthy family that had always been highly respected in the community. But no one knew what went on inside the home after the moon had risen and guests no longer milled about the entrance hall. The Habachiwa family always seemed so nice, the perfect image of what a family should be. Or so it seemed. 

Kunaki Haibachiwa raised his hand once again, bringing it down forcefully on his son's cheek. The blow was stronger than the first and caused the pale-haired boy to stumble. Tears gathered at his eyes at the stinging sensation though he tried to keep them back. If his father saw him cry things would only be worse. 

"What the hell were you thinking?! Wait, you obviously weren't! I told you a thousand damned times to be careful with your mother's china and this is what happens?! You drop the most expensive piece in the middle of the goddamned kitchen, shattering the thing like a toy! Boy you'll wish you were never born when I'm done with you!" the man screamed, staring coldly down at his offspring. 

Ryou Haibachiwa in turn, attempted to make himself invisible, clutching his slowly bruising cheek with one hand. He shrunk back as the black-eyed man advanced on him, all the while muttering apologies. He had been moving his mother's dishes to their new cabinet when he ran into a frantic maid. The impact had jerked the plate he'd been holding out of his grasp and onto the ground where it broke upon impact. Needless to say he was horrified at what had happened. Not because he had broken an expensive piece of china, but because of what his father would do to him when he found out. 

"Shying away isn't going to help you this time you little bitch!" Kunaki growled out, grabbing the boy's hair and yanking him harshly to his feet. As soon as the teen was standing he delivered a swift punch to his stomach, causing Ryou to double over in pain as a gasp escaped his lips. He would have fallen to the floor had his father not still had his hand tangled in the soft locks of his hair. 

"You worthless. Ungrateful. Brat!" with every insult a kicked was shot forth into his sides. Pain surged like wildfire through the youth's being and he cried out against the blows. 

"G-gomen nasai Otou-san! Gomen na-nasai!!" for a moment, the assault stopped. His hair was released and the boy collapsed into a heap on the carpet of his bedroom floor. 

"You're sorry? Sorry?! You think I want to hear you apologize you idiot of a child!? I ought to break you'r-" 

"Kunaki dear! Could you help me out of this dress, I can't seem to reach the zipper!" the beautiful voice of Yuki Haibachiwa cut through her husband's string of threats. The one addressed paused momentarily. 

"On my way darling!" he called back. It was amazing, in a terrifyingly abnormal way, how quickly Kunaki changed moods. After answering his wife he turned back on the trembling heap that was Ryou. "I'll finish this later boy. You keep your sorry ass in this room until I get you!" with a final glare the red-haired man stormed out of the room and down the hall. 

As soon as he knew his father was gone, Ryou sobbed. Tears flowed like rivers down his cheeks as he clutched his abused stomach area. He wasn't sure what hurt the most, the beatings, the verbal abuse, or the fact that his mother did nothing to stop it. For the first time in all his life, Ryou hated his parents. He had always been able to forgive them, no matter how badly he was hurt. But for some reason, he just couldn't take it anymore. 

Staggering to his feet, the teary-eyed boy pulled a black sack from his closet and threw a few things into it. The first aid-kit he'd hidden under his bed, a small sack of yen he had been saving up for emergencies, a few changes of clothes, and a large golden ring he had been given many years ago. Hefting the still rather light bag over his shoulder, Ryou slipped out of his room and down the stairs. 

He reached the front doors and was pulling on his shoes when he heard footsteps approach from behind. Spinning around quickly, fearing one of his parents had left their 'activities' and come down the steps, he was greeted by the same blonde maid he had run into earlier. He breathed a sigh of relief. Mai was the only friend he had and he knew she would let him go. 

The woman immediately recognized the seen as a runaway about to happen and she smiled sadly at her young Master, stepping forward to wrap him in a motherly hug. "Be careful out there Ryou." she whispered. 

"I will... promise." he whispered back, giving in to the hug for a moment before pulling back and opening the front door. He turned and smiled once more at the woman. "Goodbye for now Mai..." and with that he left into the night. 

"Goodbye for now Ryou...."   


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1: Muaha! Bet you weren't expecting that!! 

2: ^^; I couldn't think of anything else! BTW- Itsumo means Always in Japanese. 

* 

Vera: *staring at the last section* 00 Did I write that....? 

Yami Vera: *blinks* I guess so... 

Vera: POOR RYOU! Look what I've done! I've written the poor boy out to have TWO evile parents! HOW COULD I?! 

Yami Vera: Erm... aibou, you did that for a reason remember? 

Vera: *stops yelling and blinks for a moment* ......... OH YEAH! ^____^ Well I hope ya'll like it! Wheee! I got this out fast! ^_o Sundial should be updated soon so keep any eye out for that those of you who read it. R&R Onegai? I neeeeed reviews! 

Yami Vera: Speaking of reviews, I will be replying to your reviews today. 

-YAMI VERA'S REVIEW REPLIES-

**Jade.j: **This is what's next. 

**Ozark the Moonhead:** *bows* Aibou and I are very glad you like it Ozark. Keep up the good work on your own fics. 

**1st xing@fanfiction.net: **We are glad you enjoyed are story thus far. 

**Krazy Kazuko: **Thank you very much for mentioning the mistake. I will have aibou go back and fix it as soon as possible. 

**Kaneda-Shotaro and Yami Tetsuo: **Thank you, and we plan on continuing. 

**Ru-chan: **We're glad you liked the prologue and we apologize for not having Malik/Ishtar in this fic. We just don't know enough about them but hope you continue to read. 

**Kitsune Hashiba: **Vera: ARIGATO!! -^__^- So close to being 14! | Yami Vera: Hey! I'm replying to reviews! *cough* Anyway, glad you like it and hope you continue to review. 

**Yami Megami: **I'm sure aibou and I will continue and we are honored that you liked the fic enough to review. I hope this chapter lives up to expectations. 

Yami Vera: I would like to point out that there were two other reviews here but for some reason their names have been changed to xing@fanfiction.net on our review bored but we thank you for reviewing anyway. 

**Renee the Rabid Squirrel: **Aibou and I thank you for reading and are glad that the chapter pleased you. And thank you as well for the information, it did help aibou figure out the answer to her own question. --; 

**pure insanity: **Thank you for the kind revie- | Vera: ARIGATO to you too! HAPPY EARLY BIRTHDAY! *giggles and strikes victory pose* Let's play!! ^___________^ 

Yami Vera: --; Thanks once again to all who reviewed. 

Vera: *grins* HAI, thankies mucho!! Next chapter we learn more about Katsuya and Bakura, not to mention the possible encounter with Seto!! Well I'll just post now! ^_______________________________^ Ja ne! 

Yami Vera: *rolls eyes* Ja ne. 

**PS: I WILL BE UPDATING SUNDIAL ASAP!**


	3. Dawn

OO;; Holy shit!! I'm updating!!! XD;; Okie... it's been over a year but I've FINALLY gotten around to this..! I'm soooo sorry for the delay but... o; I'm also afraid this might be one of my last updates in another long stretch of time. I'm moving soon and I'm not going to have my computer with me and I've got a lot to speed up with in classes and blah, blah, blah..! 

Whenever I get to my new house and I'm all settled in with my comp and stuff again, though, then you can start looking out for updates! ^^ I'll probably work on my stories on notebook paper or somethin' while we're traveling. I'm afraid to say that I'm not completely satisfied with this chapter and I wish I could've gotten a little further along but I really wanted to get something out to you guys so.... ^^;; Finally, ne? 

Thank you all SOOOOOOO much for your support!! I really appreciate it! ^.^ Your reviews make me feel good..!

**DISCLAIMER: **(see prologue) 

* * *

_MYTHOLOGICAL LOVE STORY_

Chapter 2: DAWN

Footsteps echoed through the corridor, the noise rising about the soft bustle of the morning slaves preparing for the day. Every footfall seemed to ring as it sounded, instantly alerting servants who moved aside and bowed low to he who those footsteps carried. Robes of the deepest sapphire swished around the royal's ankles, every stride accompanied by a flash of white that was made up by his sandals. The movements radiated the man's determinations and current irritation, even in the gray dawn of not-yet fully blossomed morning. Seto was not happy.

The previous night's events played over and over in his head like a steady beat of festival drums. He had failed and he would not again. He would not allow himself to. And he would spend the morning on prayers. It was not the typical Japanese nature spirits to whom he chanted softly, either, and anyone passing the sacred room he used for such activities knew it. Seto was not Japanese by birth and therefore he found no solace with kami. He prayed to his Gods and Goddesses of foreign land. 

From any other, such act would surely bring bad-luck upon the kingdom. But not for him. The slaves, priests, other officials, other gods and other royals all understood and let him be with his rituals. At least, Yami had ensured that for his friend. The emperor did not understand to whom the Prime Minister paid his respects, nor did he understand the steady stream of words pouring past the brunette's lips, but he did not disturb him. Ever. 

Now was no exception. As the crimson-eyed man came upon the praying other, he silenced and stood still at the doorway where only a silken cloth separated him from the room. There he waited for Seto to finish. The room had been cleaned on his orders and he'd then passed the minister permission to decorate it as desired to be used for prayers, seeing as there were no temples at which Seto could do so. Yami was understanding of this and had been quite pleased with the normally stoic royal's enthusiasm towards the idea. That, however, had been some time ago and by now everyone was used to the change. 

The spiky haired man blinked out of his reverie when the last foreign note silenced and there was a rustling from within the room. He'd never been inside, personally, on Seto's request as not to disturb the Gods, he worshipped but he had seen peeks of the elaborate chamber every so often, now included as the long hanging was pushed aside and Seto stepped out. He momentarily looked surprised to see him but fell to an impassive expression soon after. The milling slaves were relieved, however. The Prime Minister's anger had been bottled once more. 

"Ohayo, Seto." Yami greeted, returning the light nod he received. 

"Ohayo." 

The emperor's lips quirked. "Bad morning?" 

"The morning is good. The night was not." Seto answered in a flat tone. 

Yami laughed. "I take it your hunt was less than satisfactory?" 

"Abysmal." the brunette deadpanned. 

Chuckling, Yami pat one of the other's crossed forearms lightly. "May you be blessed with better nights then." he offered, leading the minister away from the sacred room and towards the dinning hall. 

Seto smirked. "What do you think I was praying for?" 

*** 

"Rise and shine, water-boy!" Bakura chirped -- which, in itself, screamed danger -- just before the branch Katsuya slept on caught fire. 

For a moment he was undisturbed, sleeping peacefully on of clear blue eyes. Then his subconscious became aware of the rising temperature. Was it mid-day already..? Surely he wouldn't have overslept so badly. No.. the heat at that time didn't increase as it did now or burn so close it caught his pant leg afire... Pant leg? 

The blonde yelped sharply and jerked awake, nearly falling out of the tree as he summoned the lake water to put out the fire. That settled, he sent a sharp glare to the currently cackling pyro next to him. Katsuya took to shutting him up by sending a burst of collected morning dew at his chest and almost succeeding in knocking him off his branch. 

He snickered at Bakura's indignant squawk and stuck his tongue out at him childishly. 

"Good morning to you too, sleeping psycho." Katsuya greeted, stretching his arms -- not to mention releasing his wings to stretch them as well -- and grinning at the other's snort. This was nothing new really. It seemed almost every other morning one or the other woke their companion as such. 

"Good my ass." Bakura grumbled, dropping down out of his tree like a primate of sorts, demon-ish wings already uncurled behind him. 

_'An evil, flying, fire-obsessed primate.'_ Katsuya added with a roll of honey brown eyes as he stifled a yawn. The sun was still weak and the surrounding forest still touched with gray but both creatures knew the great sun would orange soon enough. Putting his pondering aside, though, Katsuya climbed down from his own tree and snickered as he watched Bakura grudgingly wash his face off in the lake. 

As the white haired other finished up, Katsuya had just sat to splash water over his own face, delighting in the crisp, cool sensation against his skin that jolted him awake. It wasn't even until Bakura spoke that the blonde realized he was still standing there next to him. 

"Who was that human snooping around last night?" the sharp eyed being asked and Katsuya shrugged, clambering to his own feet. 

"No idea. Almost saw me though.." 

Bakura snorted as if he was unsurprised with the answer. And he was. "Figures. Wouldn't have shocked me if you'd gotten snatched again or something." 

Katsuya glared angrily at the other for that, none to pleased with the reminder. "Oh, shut up. Don't you have some little animal to hunt or the like?" he retorted and received a fang-toothed grin in reply. 

"Now that you mention it.." Bakura drawled not even bothering to finish his sentence. "Well I'll leave you to it then! Gotta find something to eat..." he grumbled before trailing off without even a word of parting. It didn't bother the blonde, however, He was already quite used to such things and figured he might as well find something to fill his stomach as well. Not in any particular mood for berries or anything the forest had to offer, he figured he could risk a little walk through town. Besides, where was life without some risks? 

He was more cautious nowadays, of course, but still enjoyed going out and finding something to bring him a rush that came only with the thrill of danger. Katsuya may not have been fond of great fires of destruction, but a little mischievousness went a long way when it came to toying with the mind of humans. Snickering softly to himself at the thought, the creature glowed a soft aqua color before the light dimmed to nothing and his skin was left a healthy, fairly tanned color. 

The seemingly delicate wings were retracted once again as well and the golden tinge to his hair had softened to an almost regular-blonde color. But even so, blonde's were rare in this part of the world as was the white hair Bakura's head was topped with. Making a slight noise of approval upon his changed appearance, Katsuya trailed along the lake's edge and into the forest. For a ways he followed a barely-seen path that was gradually being worn by Bakura and himself, that path leading to the mouth of a small cave. 

The cave was certainly large enough to accommodate a number of people, but both Katsuya and his companion preferred the trees. They're spirits were connected to nature and thus it was there in the open they felt the most comfortable. Still, the cave made for a wonderful hiding place and storage area for the goods they'd mostly stolen. A green tunic, dark brown slacks and a hooded cloak were extracted from the bag of clothes they had and replaced upon Katsuya's figure, the pants going over the material already wrapped about the strong limbs of his legs. 

After jerking the dark hood of his cloak over his head to hide the unusual color of his hair and finding a little pouch of yen within one of the pockets, a grinning Katsuya was on his way through the trees he'd come to know like the back of his hand. He didn't come right out on the edge of town however, instead having chosen a route that led to a road headed into down to avoid suspicion. After last night, that was the last thing he needed then and by the time he'd reached the market place, it was simply a matter of blending in. 

*** 

Bakura grinned as he licked blood off of his fingers. Silly rabbits. They just don't hop fast enough to get away! Practically humming in his glee -- which was just creepy in itself -- the white haired creature continued on through a random path deeper into the forest. He and Katsuya knew this place like the back of their hands, had discovered every available path within it and had even created some of their own. There was no way they could get lost in here. 

There were, however, plenty of ways for some wandering human to get lost. Which was probably what had happened to the one Bakura found curled into a tight ball at the base of one of the larger trees around that area. At first, the demonic being had thought he'd somehow stumbled across some of that reflective glass humans sold. This other figure bore an uncanny resemblance to himself minus the clothing type and his paler skin. 

Or at least it did until he (Bakura _thought _it was a he) shifted slightly and his face was more visible. The features, especially in sleep, were oddly feminine, rounded and soft. It took a few moments for Bakura to decide for certain that it was a male he was looking over. He glared at the sleeping form. He didn't like the idea of some human roaming about in his territory. Oh yeah, and Katsuya's. But judging by the rips in his clothes, the tear stains on his face and the bag he was using as a pillow, the kid was either the worst traveler ever or a runaway. 

Bakura voted on the latter. 

The kid's cheek was bruised, too, in a shape that resembled a hand. Though he never did like humans, he found this one... intriguing. That interest was probably due in part to a streak of narcissism but he didn't much care about that. Katsuya was the human lover, though, so maybe he had an idea of why this one looked so much like him. 

He didn't wanna leave the kid here to continue trampling through their land later but he didn't wanna touch him either. So instead he got a stick, knelt down near the being and poked him. The human groaned. Bakura poked him again. The human mumbled something and curled up tighter. Poking him three times in quick procession seemed to have the desired affect for the 'trespasser' twitched slightly and forced his eyes open with a murmur. Bakura tossed the stick aside and tilted his head slightly at the bleary eyed boy. 

"Wh-wha...?" the human mumbled, blinking up at the form looming over him. His eyes widened when his vision cleared and he was able to make out the sinister form of... himself? Yelping, he jumped up from his curled position, scrambling back from Bakura. Well, as far back as he could scramble until his back hit the tree trunk. He regretted the action as soon as he'd done it, resting a hand over his sore stomach. The other, however, seemed amused with this and snickered.

"Wh...who are you..?" the boy asked softly.

"Me?" Bakura snorted, pushing himself back up to his feet and eyeing the frightened looking boy. "YOU should be answering that question. You're trespassing on MY territory." it wasn't _completely _true, but judging by the way the human's eyes widened and his already light skin paled further -- he didn't know that. 

"I-I'm sorry.. I didn't know..! I ne-never would've..i-if I'd known... I-" 

Bakura cut off the other's rambling by holding a hand up, silencing the other. "What's your name, kid?" 

"Ryou...my name's Ryou Habachiwa." the human replied after taking a breath to calm himself, pulling him bag to him. It took him a minute to remember how he'd gotten here but as soon as he did it took all his strength to keep his eyes from tearing over. Crying wasn't going to help anything now and he had this...being to answer to and -- wait. Were those _wings?_

Bakura smirked slightly when he noticed the boy's eyes widen once again and his gaze fix on the ruby wings curled behind his back. "What'sa matter? See something interesting?" he taunted, smirking as Ryou just nodded mutely. "What the hell are you doing out here, _Ryou?_" he asked, stressing the boy's name in a none-too-friendly manner. That seemed to snap his near-twin out of his daze and he fidgeted slightly. 

"I...uh.. 'm trying to find t-town... I'm n-not from around here.." he murmured, which was partially true. He wasn't really from around here but he had no desire to go into town. His parents might think to look for him there if they cared to find him. Of course, Bakura didn't by the lie for a second but he didn't say anything on it, reaching over and grabbing the other's forearm to heft him to his feet. 

"Do you have any idea where you're going?" he asked in a manner that suggested he already knew the answer. And he did. Those suspicions were only proven completely correct when Ryou shook his head slowly, pulling his backpack on slowly. "Oi... c'me on, kid." he muttered, letting go of the boy's arm and nodding for him to follow as he started back off into the woods. 

Ryou blinked. He was hesitant to follow but he really only had two choices. Follow this... creature or risk the forest alone. 

He quickly hurried after the other. 

_TBC..._

* * *

Okies! So we got that done with, finally!! WHOO! Hehe... anyway, I'm off for now! But look out for the Katsuya & Seto encounter soon! ^___- That and if you wanna keep an eye out for possible review replies, various other story snippets, etc, etc:

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